Passion play to be shown in evening hours

Christian Stueckl, who is to direct the play for the third time when the once-a-decade production is next staged in 2010, had said he would step down if the referendum went against his plan.

Productions of the play previously have run from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., with a three-hour interval. Stueckl, citing artistic reasons, wants to start in the afternoon and have the play run into the dark evening hours, finishing at 10:30 p.m.

The town council approved the idea, but some 600 residents signed a petition to force a referendum on the plan. Opponents cited concerns including the defense of tradition, higher costs and additional strain on the more than 2,000 actors who appear in each production.